Prosecutor Vera Pashkovskaya made such a declaration at the court hearing on the billionaire’s case.

At the first session in the case of elite alcohol smuggling in the Basmanny Court of Moscow, owner of Forum company and a billionaire from St. Petersburg Dmitry Mikhalchenko admitted partial guilt. At the same time, Mikhalchenko categorically denied the allegations of creating an organized group.

“I partially admit guilt and insist that I haven’t created any organized group. I have been cooperating with the investigation all this time; besides, I have voluntarily repaid the damages in the amount of 18 million rubles ($308 thousand),” RBC quotes Mikhalchenko.

To recall, Dmitry Mikhalchenko was detained in March, 2016. He was charged with smuggling of 4 thousand bottles of expensive alcohol. According to the investigation, in 2015-2016, the businessman and his accomplices Boris Korevsky, Alexey Mishchenko, and Ilya Pichko smuggled alcohol under the guise of building sealant. The spirits were bought in the European Union and transported to Russia via the port in Hamburg.

The prosecution insists that the crime was committed by a group of persons by previous concert.

“When creating the crime group, Mikhalchenko abused authority, high social status and ties with government bodies,” Prosecutor Vera Pashkovskaya read out the court's opinion.

A criminal case under Art. 200.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (Smuggling of alcohol and (or) tobacco products) has been initiated against Mikhalchenko. The article provides up to 5 years in prison. If it is proved that the crime was committed as part of an organized group, the punishment will be harsher.